132 Modern Dogs. 



power in commanding his sheep. That some collies 

 possess the latter important qualification to a 

 greater degree than others I am confident, and, 

 although there is a considerable amount of good or 

 bad fortune in obtaining an easy, or the reverse, 

 batch of sheep, still the very best dogs appear to 

 make even the most stupid little " Welshman " or 

 " Scotchman " know that no larking will be allowed, 

 and that they must go exactly where the dog wishes. 

 This is a power similar to that possessed by some 

 men over animals the performer in the menagerie 

 over his lions or tigers to wit and in breeding 

 collies for working, I should certainly use those dogs 

 which possessed this extraordinary and unusual gift 

 to the greatest extent. A barking dog is useless at 

 such meetings, and one that loses its temper, rushes 

 at and attempts to bite his sheep is equally (or 

 sooner) put out of the stake. 



" In training or practising a collie for work of this 

 kind, care must be taken that the lessons are given 

 in both directions, i.e., the dog be taught to work 

 from left to right and vice versa. I have seen an 

 otherwise good dog make a wretched performance 

 when it came to compete on a course which lay in 

 a direction contrary to that in which its early lessons 

 had been given. The most difficult thing to teach 

 is to make your dog drive the sheep away from you 



